Could this Cape Town company have the solution to the city’s water crisis?

These plans are seriously impressive. And they're ready to go.

The worst drought in 104 years has scarred the Western Cape, now labelled as a disaster area. Strict water usage limitations have been imposed on the region, and government officials are predicting it will ‘take years’ for the dams to reach even an average level.

Cape Town needs action, and it needs solutions. Step forward NuWater, who spoke to us about their illustrious career in water treatment and their grand plans for the Mother City.

Based in their brand new, custom-built facility in Muizenberg, NuWater already have a diverse portfolio of water treatment solutions. They have plants in Sedgefield, Witbank, Richards Bay and even as far as Ghana. They started out in 2010 with a prominent focus on mining but progressed into power generation as the years went by.

NuWater use a technique known as ‘Reverse Osmosis’, and they have patented a model that utilises a 16-inch diameter of the membrane element, rather than the standard eight-inch models. It produces hydraulic conditions that pressure water through microscopic holes in a membrane, leaving behind any trace of salt, minerals or contaminants.

Their ability to adapt and evolve could be the perfect approach to Cape Town’s woes. According to NuWater’s Business Development Officer (who wishes to remain nameless), there is no ‘silver bullet’ solution. Desalination of seawater is not the simple process many believe it to be, and he calls for a more nuanced approach:

“With only 0,007% of the planet’s water being drinkable I think we better find some alternate solutions fast and acclimatise to paying for it before we have no ‘fresh’ water remaining – Ultimately, water conservation is the best method of protecting our natural resources.

With regards to a treatment solution for Cape Town, it will take a combination of effluent reclamation, groundwater treatment, seawater desalination and harvesting to ensure water resilience in the future. Also, utilising the correct standard of water for every specific application will see the overall cost of water being far more commercially viable.”

What is really impressive about NuWater’s work is just how quickly they can establish their water treatment facilities: It takes them about four weeks (twice as fast as other competitors) to set up a plant that can produce five million litres a day, and they can add another 5MLD on a weekly basis after the initial set up.

Read: Cape Town’s water may soon run out, and residents are stocking up

Fortunately for Cape Town, it’s ocean frontage provides the access to place machinery in many different locations.

NuWater have done their homework and they have achieved great things in many other countries… Now, they are ready to roll up their sleeves and bring their ambitious project to their hometown.